New Twin Peaks Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Giving wide berth to Oak Creek, this roundabout route up Twin Peaks takes advantage of easier grades than the more direct, but more lung-busting Old Twin Peaks Trail. Dropping about eighty feet to cross Oak Creek at one point, the worst of it comes with a 500 foot climb to its intersection with the old trail.

Where the new and the old meet, the New Twin Peaks Trail flattens through an expansive field of aspen trees. Don't let the tranquility fool you, as this area is a minefield of deadfall. Keep your eyes and ears open for any subtle groaning above you, because I counted 4 or 5 massive trees that forced me to reroute, and a couple handfuls of smaller trunks that had fallen on or near the trail.

The climb stays relatively level for the next half mile before building again in one last push towards Sister Peak. At mile 2.1, the trail crests the bald ridge connecting Sister Peak to Twin Peaks. Turning west, Twin Peaks lies just 0.3 miles uphill with unbroken views to Ridgway, Ouray, Yankee Boy Basin, the Amphitheater, and every high peak within a five mile radius.

Deer, mountain goat and bighorn sightings, and the occasional mountain lion or bear can be experienced on any of the trails in the Uncompahgre National Forest.